8 Months Later, 2026's Best Sci-Fi Movie Is Still Impossible to Top

Published Nov 11, 2026, 11:30 PM EST

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Carolyn Jenkins is a voracious consumer of film and television. She graduated from Long Island University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing where she learned the art of character, plot, and structure. The best teacher is absorbing media and she spends her time reading about different worlds from teen angst to the universe of Stephen King.

While the question of whether cinema is really back has been raised before, 2026 seems to be the year it actually happened. From Robert Pattinson’s generational run of movies to the final epic entry of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune saga, there is no doubt that there has been a giant push for fans to get back into theaters. One of the most surprising successes of the year, however, was the buddy comedy and sci-fi mashup, Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir’s fan-favorite book follows in The Martian’s footsteps, but the Ryan Gosling feature from Amazon Studios wasn’t guaranteed to be a success.

Gosling had an unfortunate streak with the studio, especially in the days of streaming, when fans weren't in the mood to automatically head to the theater. Project Hail Mary proved everyone wrong with the heartfelt movie about friendship. The message was so powerful that eight months later, the Gosling vehicle is still the best sci-fi movie of the year so far.

‘Project Hail Mary’ Combines Humor and Physics In an Unmissable Sci-Fi Adventure

Amid the superhero fatigue, it seemed the last thing viewers wanted was another big-budget adventure with bankable faces. When Project Hail Mary hit theaters in March, however, it impressed even the most jaded of moviegoers. The film wasn’t dependent on self-referential humor and a middling plot. Instead, it did the unthinkable and committed to a cowardly middle school science teacher doing anything to save a sentient rock.

Project Hail Mary shouldn’t have worked on paper, but its devotion to the relationship at the center of the movie made it the best sci-fi feature of the year. Promotional material didn’t hold back that the concept of aliens would be introduced in the story, and the narrative ran with it. When scientists discover that microscopic bacteria are dimming the sun, they recruit Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) to find a solution. The solution, as it turns out, is sending him to space on a one-way trip.

That is only one part of the equation, however, because the movie truly kicks off when Grace realizes that he is not the only one out there. After the deaths of his crew, he learns that a spidery, rock-like alien is also trying to find a way to save his planet. Project Hail Mary acknowledges the ridiculousness of the situation while also endearing the audience to an alien brought to life by puppetry.

Once Grace and the aptly named Rocky get past their communication barrier, it’s off to the races. They become an iconic duo that often chafe at their different styles but eventually are willing to die for each other. The entire conceit of Project Hail Mary lies in the audience caring about Rocky, and the story pulls this off seamlessly. It also drops these characters in a highly realistic world of science akin to hard sci-fi classics such as The Expanse.

Project Hail Mary is a clever feat, held together by humor and the power of friendship. This is the sort of movie that fans have been waiting for, and they proved it at the box office. Full of hope and compelling characters, Ryan Gosling’s movie was a shining light in the darkness, allowing fans to dare to dream that the world can get better.